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Manager, Exhibition Project Delivery
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey, CA, USA
USD 107,500-137k / year
Posted on Sep 23, 2025
At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity. We firmly believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices, working together, increases our capacity to serve our visitors and fulfill our mission. We welcome people from all walks of life into our team and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.
Priority deadline for applications is October 20, 2025 at 5pm Pacific Time. Due to the volume of incoming applications, the role may be closed earlier than October 20, 2025.
Job Summary:
Oversee the exhibitions project management team, setting goals and objectives, and working with senior staff to develop a project management program complete with standard policies and procedures. This core member of the Exhibitions management team will bring clarity to the exhibits process, develops and mentors a team of capable and responsive project managers, and provide leadership on all sizes of exhibition projects. Responsible for a portfolio of large and major public exhibition projects from initial planning and design through construction and installation. Responsible for overall project communication and coordination on high-risk, high-visibility projects with major impacts to the organization both internally and externally and representing the Aquarium accurately and effectively to outside agencies. Bring high-level expertise to the task of developing effective cross-divisional teams encompassing the work of Exhibitions (content, design, production, and interpretive media), Facilities (electrical and plumbing), and Animal Care (animal collections, life support, controls, HVAC, water quality), as well as architects, engineers, specialty designers and fabricators, the general contractor, and other external consultants. Perform other duties as required. The mission of Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans. All work will be conducted in a way that promotes animal welfare, environmental sustainability, as well as a sustainable culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Core Activities:
- Manage the day-to-day operations, budget, resources of Exhibits project management work.
- Manage employee relations, performance evaluations, coaching, developing, and hiring staff on the Exhibitions Project Management team.
- Review and guide the work of other staff and project managers throughout the Aquarium working on Exhibition projects.
- Provide approvals on key project documentation throughout all exhibition projects.
- Guide the development of new collaborative processes, standards, tools, and procedures to implement strategic project goals completely and efficiently.
- Produce and present quarterly status reports and risk mitigation strategies at all phases for the overall portfolio of exhibition projects.
- Develop and oversee project plans (e.g. project objectives, action plans, responsibility charts, detailed requirements, etc.) for all public-facing Exhibition projects from design through construction, and at times for other divisions, for consistency across all exhibition projects.
- Develop scope, schedule, budgets and estimates, and identify resources needed for all exhibition projects.
- Lead cross-functional project meetings across multiple departments and divisions, managing overall project communication and coordination.
- Manage project deliverables (from content, design, animal care, exhibit fabrication, and general construction) against project requirements (e.g. scope, timelines, budget) from initial planning through completion.
- Communicate expectations across key stakeholders and provide constructive feedback informally and formally to individual team members to ensure deadlines are met and quality standards are achieved.
- Oversee subcontractors and subcontractor processes for consistency across all Exhibition projects.
- Work collaboratively with other department managers to support holistic department and division goals, at times leading meetings and communications for this effort.
- Manage the permitting process across all Exhibition projects, or other documentation required by outside agencies, in coordination with our design team, the Architect, Engineer, and other project partners.
- Contribute expertise on project strategy, budget, and schedule toward a realistic yet ambitious 5-year Exhibitions plan, managing staff and project assignments accordingly.
- Contribute to the larger museum and exhibitions field through publishing or presenting.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):
- BA or MA, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
- Project Management, LEED, AIA, or PLA certification or equivalent experience required
- Minimum 10 years of project management experience and supervisory experience
- Capable of overseeing the work of the Exhibitions Project Management team while simultaneously directly managing at least one major exhibition project.
- Capable of reporting project information to leadership and executive management, seeking appropriate input and guidance from the Director of Exhibition Projects and the Vice President of Exhibitions & Facilities when needed
- Capable of representing Aquarium interests effectively with outside agencies
- Mastery level knowledge of exhibition project management combined with the ability to be responsive to the needs of creative teams and complex projects
- Exemplary leadership qualities with strong team building, communication, and active listening skills required
- Forward-thinking on best practices in facilitation, project management, and design thinking.
- Creates, establishes, and models an open, inclusive, and collaborative environment for all disciplines to contribute their best work, while guiding exhibition projects to be produced in line with institutional goals, constraints, and parameters, and ensures that other project management staff do the same
- Experience establishing transparent accountability through all project phases with project team members and Aquarium leadership
- Experience supervising and mentoring staff throughout the Aquarium who participate in, and contribute to, projects.
- Regularly solicits and provides feedback and expertise
- Proven experience prioritizing complex workloads across multiple projects, delegating appropriately, and adhering to critical project timing while using good judgment, problem-solving skills, and follow-through
- Proven experience maintaining safety standards on all site work for projects, including internal staff and contractors
- Ability to work with contractors to recognize and direct remediation of common construction hazards such as elevated work, confined spaces, hazardous chemicals, the hazardous release of stored energy
- Exceptional computer skills (i.e. google docs, preparing presentations, creating budget spreadsheets, database management, email)
- Experience preparing and managing large project budgets from conceptual square-foot budgets and detailed estimates, through cost-to-complete tracking
- Mastery knowledge and experience reading, interpreting, and notating architectural and technical drawings
- Mastery knowledge with construction and specialty exhibit fabrication
- Mastery knowledge of Agile, Waterfall, and/or Sprint project management methods
- Ability to work within, and maintain Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Core Values
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Must possess, or be able to obtain within the first 3 months of employment, a valid California driver's license in order to operate Monterey Bay Aquarium vehicles
Physical Requirements to Perform Essential Job Functions:
- Typical office equipment
- Constant sitting, standing, walking, bending
- Occasional unassisted lifting up to 50 lbs
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Typical office environment, main aquarium and exhibits, active installation and construction sites, occasional offsite events and/or subcontractor visits
Annual Compensation Range:
$107,500-$137,000 USD annually. Starting rate will vary based on previous experience and relevant skills/knowledge set.